Pacific Biodiversity Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311602392
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2017
Forms available
Form 990 2017
Location
Twisp, WA, USA
Phone
5099970446
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Reported finances

Revenue
$211,590
Expenses
$297,678
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dave Stokes PhD (Past President)
  • Marnee Chua (Vice President)
  • Craig Olson PhD (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Peter Morrison (Board Member): $11,518 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Pacific Biodiversity Institute combines innovative scientific research, education and technical support to inform, enhance and inspire conservation. Our goal is a rich and enduring biological heritage.

What it reported doing in 2017

- Conservation research, education and advocacy related to wildlands and biodiversity in South America. We expanded local partnerships, continued conservation research projects and worked with local people in efforts to create new national parks.- Development of an Early Warning System for Biodiversity in the Cascadia region. We worked on building coalitions and policy platforms to bring strong science and citizen science to support public policy, planning, and management on biodiversity and ecosystems under environmental change. - Conservation research on the effects of changing climate and subsequent large wildfires to ponderosa pine and shrub-steppe ecosystems and their wildlife. - Assistance to Washington State Parks with surveys of plant species in several state parks.- Public conservation education programs: presentations, newspaper articles and dissemination of information. - Dissemination of information about biodiversity and the environment via social media, newsletters, etc. -We maintained and enhanced our websites www.pacificbio.org and www.pacificbiodiversity.org to provide public access to all our studies, publications and other educational information.- We provided educational opportunities for two conservation science interns.- We provided scientific and technical support to other NGOs, governmental agencies in the USA and in Argentina. -We developed relationships with core partners for strategic program areas.-Outreach and engagement with citizen scientists, volunteers, the public, and academic partners.-Realignment and presentation of PBI's core work online and via social media.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 71% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 45
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 8
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 87%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: No; rating input score 0
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -40.7%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.9%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 87% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $259K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $12K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Major donor itemization scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 1/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.